My Favorite Accident
by C.K. degu
Summary: AU-ALL HUMAN Bella's life has always been a series of accidents, none of which have ever been for her benefit. Until one day that she's rescued twice by the same guy. He's perfect for her, if only he wasn't dating Bella's older sister. BxExOC, AxJ,RxE
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Standard disclaimers apply. Thanks to the lovely betas over at PTB. :)

My Favorite Accident

Chapter One: My Five-Minute Rescue

BPOV

"Alice, I don't think we need this many avocado," I spoke into my phone. "Are you making something specifically, or is it just one of your strange food cravings?"  
I was standing in the fruit section of the grocery, debating whether I should get myself four apples or six oranges. It was my turn to do the weekly shopping, and quite frankly, some of my roommates' items on the grocery list were overly specific and strange. Take for example, Alice's avocado request. Who needed a whole pound?

"It's neither," Alice laughed on the other end. "I figured since Rose was getting married soon, the three of us should have a little bachelorette party at home tomorrow. It'll be a Mexican themed fiesta and I need avocados for guacamole."  
"Well…couldn't I just buy guacamole?" I asked, pushing the cart past the watermelons, the avocados already inside. No matter how much I argued, I knew that Alice would eventually get her way.

"No, silly! It has to be handmade! It's the only thing I can make," Alice confessed. "And I wanted to make something for Rosalie. Can you believe she's getting married next week?"

I really couldn't. I'd known Rosalie and Alice since college, and it was hard to think that by next week, one of us would finally marry the man of her dreams. Emmett was an incredibly sweet and thoughtful guy, and his tastes matched Rose's without a doubt. Alice and I were one of the few people who witnessed every step of their relationship, and it seemed only fitting to Rose to ask us to be her bridesmaids. But no matter how happy I was that she and Emmett were getting married, I was a bit sad too. Rosalie getting married meant that she was moving out, which was why I immediately agreed to Alice's idea the moment she mentioned it. And a Mexican theme? It was perfect, especially after the vacation we took to Cabo one Spring Break.

Alice and I continued our conversation for a while, discussing her plans for the party while I continued through the list. Eventually I reached the last few aisles of the grocery, picking up the same shampoo I'd been using since I was fourteen. What could I say; I was a creature of habit. I was just reaching to grab some toilet paper when my phone started ringing in my pocket. Seeing who it was, I took my time in picking up.

"Alexa?" I asked, turning the corner and taking some more canned tuna. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh Bella," my older sister replied as I rechecked my list. "You know I don't always call with bad news. In fact I hardly ever call you."

It was true. Alexa had moved out of Forks the first chance she got, and save for the bi-annual phone call and the usual cards, we'd hardly talked. It was just the way our relationship worked and it worked for us. It was as good a relationship as any, considering that our parents were divorced. It had been 'convenient' for Renee and Charlie that they had two daughters, with Alexa staying with him in Forks while I'd been shipped off to Arizona with Renee. Charlie once said that Alexa had left almost the exact same way Renee did. She was a lot like my mother that way and I'd always been jealous of that. But I never told anyone, especially not her.

"Which is why I always assume that something is wrong when you do," I said back as my eyes immediately looked up to the grocery doors as they swung open. My eyes widened and my heart raced inside my chest as I saw who stepped in. No. No. No. It couldn't be. They just can't…_he _couldn't. And with the new wife no less, whose perky face and perfect hair immediately pushed me into a familiar realm of insecurity that was reserved especially for the new Mrs. Mike Newton. That should have been me. I should have been the one clutching his arm and pointing out the canned tomatoes. Oh crap. They were coming towards my aisle. I ducked my head, bent my knees and turned the cart around to avoid them. No way was I going to let Mike or Jessica see me in all my sad single glory. I wasn't about to give them the satisfaction.

"Bella? Bella?" I heard Alexa ask as I turned around and made sure that the Newtons were nowhere in sight. I blinked a bit and tried to turn my attention back to my phone. "Are you still there?"  
"Yes, I'm still here. You were saying something," I said as I moved my cart towards the counter. My mind was doing so many things at the same time. First, I was trying to make sure that neither Mike nor Jessica had or would be able to see me. The last thing I wanted was an awkward conversation with them. Really, I didn't need to see my ex-fiancée flaunt my former high school friend in my face. I had other insecurities to deal with, plus the ones that he caused. Alice said that I should be thankful that I hadn't married Mike, but I still couldn't see why.

Maybe in another year.

The other part of my brain was trying to comprehend where I was. I was at the grocery and I was at the line. There were two people in front of me and one other person behind me. My neck and shoulder were squashed in between my phone because Alexa was still talking.

"…at their rehearsal dinner tomorrow. I'll introduce you to him then. He's really amazing, Bella. I think I might just be in love."  
"Uhm, that's great, Alexa," I said to her, pushing my cart forward, noting that Mike and Jessica were nowhere to be seen. I started to unload my items on the counter. "I'll talk to you soon."  
The same thing I always unconsciously said to her before she said goodbye.

"Alright. Bye Bella!" Alexa finally said before she hung up. As I pocketed my cell phone, I felt a strange guilt coming over me. It sounded like she was really telling me something important, and I hadn't heard a thing. What if our bad relationship was my fault? She'd certainly made her fair share of calls to me. Had I? Would everything have changed if I listened in on her conversation and made actual responses? I handed the cashier my credit card as I continued to ponder on the phone call. She sounded really happy and all she was doing was sharing that with me and I didn't even listen. Damn it. This was all Mike's fault.

"This is a cash-only line."  
"What?" I asked, jumping right out of my thoughts as my eyes met the cashier's. Clearly she wasn't amused that I hadn't been paying attention. "What?" I asked again and she looked up at the sign over our heads.

"This is a cash-only line," she repeated to me. I fumbled at my bag to grab my wallet only to find that I had a whole…dollar. I had just one dollar for at least thirty dollars worth of groceries.

"I don't have cash on me," I explained, feeling my hands sweat in embarrassment. "Couldn't you just…make an exception?"  
The cashier looked back at me like I had at least three heads. "Get in another line, lady."  
"She has no cash. She has NO cash," someone a couple of people behind me mumbled. I was about to say something more to try to alleviate the situation when I felt someone brush behind me and stand closer to the counter.

"Is everything alright?" a deep, velvet voice asked, and I didn't dare turn my head. I held in the gasp that threatened to escape my lips.

"In case you hadn't heard, she has no cash," the mumbler yelled towards the guy and the cashier nodded her assent. I could swear my embarrassment only grew from there.

"This is a cash-only line," she said for the third time now.

"Well I know _that_ now," I said back to her, and behind me, I swore I heard the man laugh a bit. He sighed, and I could feel his breath at my neck and it made my skin tingle.

"Is that a credit card machine there?" he asked the cashier, and she turned her eyes towards him for the first time. Never had I seen an expression change as fast as hers did. Her hard and droopy eyes brightened, her back straightened, and the classic sign, she twirled her hair in her fingers. Wow. I bit my lip to resist the urge to just turn around.

"Yes," the cashier replied, drumming her fingers against the keypad as if she was about to sell it to him. "It is indeed."  
"Well, don't you think things would go a bit smoother if you just…zipped in this young lady's card…May."  
May was the cashier's name. She all but ripped the credit card out of my hand and punched in the numbers just to impress him. May, the cashier, threw me a scornful look as she handed me a pen to sign the receipt. Behind me, my savior greeted the mumbling man a Merry Christmas as he took his place behind me in the line.

"Merry Christmas," I said to May with a smile as I picked up my grocery bags. I was just about to turn and thank my rescuer when I heard someone call my name. My insides froze as I recognized the voice immediately.

"Bella! Bella Swan!" Mike said as me made his way over to me, his arms full of groceries and Jessica in tow. I turned to them and managed to smile.  
"Hi Mike, Jessica," I said to them in the most civil voice that I could muster. I wanted to throw my groceries at the floor and run. But not before I hurled some peanut butter and Nutella at them first.

But running was my first thought.

"How have you been?" Jessica asked in the same voice Renee used on me when she was trying to make me confess to something I did wrong. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!"  
The last time I saw Jessica was at my rehearsal dinner. She was in my car, getting to third base with Mike in the back seat.

"Right, ages, " I said to her, hating the way she said it to me. My feet were not cooperating with my brain's command to get the heck out of there. I couldn't even look Mike right in the eye. He was giving me the pity look. The sad, pathetic look he used to give Jessica when I talked about her last bad relationship. Neither of us were really saying anything when Mike dropped one of his grocery items to the floor. Out of habit, I bent down to pick it up.

"Oh no you don't have to—"

I swallowed down the bile that ran up to my throat as I put the box back in the bag in Mike's arms. It was a pregnancy test.  
"Oh god, that's so embarrassing," Jessica said, touching her cheek as she blushed the tiniest shade of pink. "Just pretend you didn't see that, Bella."  
They were trying to have kids. Babies that actually looked like them. I could see them in my mind, each and every one laughing at me.

"No, it's…it's fine," I said trying to shake off the thought. I had to make my escape, or I wouldn't be able to stop the tears that threatened to spill over my face. I was angry. Angry at them for flaunting their marriage at me while I remained emotionally incapable and insecure since the night I saw them together. And angry at myself for letting them see me like this.

"So, are you seeing anyone right now?" Mike suddenly asked, and I looked at him for the first time. He looked the same as he ever did. He was always handsome, with kind eyes and a warm smile. I used to think that it made him sweet. Now I thought he was just mocking me with that smile.

"Right now?" I repeated, "I'm not really—"  
"There you are," a voice said behind me. My back stiffened as warm arms wrapped around me in an embrace. I knew the voice immediately. It was the guy from the counter. I whipped around, anything I might have said melting away from my mind as my eyes met his. They had a strange blue-green color in them that made me never want to look away. His face was perfectly formed, and I wondered what it would feel like to run a hand through his copper hair. His face matched his voice completely. His arms were still around me, and I felt a strange sense of comfort. It was something that I hadn't felt in a long time and to find it in a complete stranger was quite bizarre.

I swallowed a gulp as he winked at me. "Shall I put the groceries in the car?" he asked. I could only nod as he picked up the bags in my arms and placed them among his own bags in the shopping cart he had with him. I couldn't keep my eyes away as he wrapped his arm around my waist and turned to the Newtons.

"Hi," he said to them, giving them a smile. He was gorgeous, and I could tell that Jessica thought so too. "And you guys are?"  
"Bella, you never mentioned you were dating such a sex god," Jessica said shamelessly as my face blushed into a deeper shade of red. I couldn't even speak.

"Thank you," my rescuer said, smiling amicably as if he'd heard that line more than one too many times now. "And I'm really sorry, but Bella and I have to go. It was nice seeing you both."

I gave them a weak wave as the stranger whisked me away from the grocery and straight to the parking lot where he stopped and started laughing, running a hand through his hair.

"That's twice now. Is it normal for you to be in these kinds of situations more than once a day?" He asked me, looking back at the grocery and shaking his head.

"Unfortunately, it's just been that kind of day," I frowned, refusing to look back at those glass doors.

"Sorry about that," he said to me. "I couldn't help but notice."

"Well, thank you. That's twice today that you've rescued me from an embarrassing situation," I said, taking my groceries out of his shopping cart. "Now I'm even more embarrassed." I couldn't even look at him without blushing furiously. He smiled and put his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry," he said again. "I guess I was just…gripped by you. At the counter and back there."

Gripped. He was gripped by me. I don't think I've ever managed to grip anyone that way. It was strange.

"I'm Bella Swan," I said to him, managing to hold out a hand. "Thank you for rescuing me. Twice in one hour."

He laughed again and took my hand. A sort of electricity pulsed through my body so fast at the contact that I almost jumped. "I'm Edward Masen."  
"Edward," I said again, letting the name roll off my lips. "I was wondering if I could…buy you a cup of coffee or something. For saving me twice."

"Do you always get into this kind of trouble?" He asked me like he was avoiding the subject.  
"Huh. The story of my life," I said bitterly, turning around to look for my car. Clearly, Edward had no further interest in me other than the fact that I was in trouble. I wanted to leave.  
"You know what," he said. "I would love a cup of coffee."

An hour later, I was sitting at a Starbucks with Edward. I'd gotten over all of my initial shyness on the ride over as I eased into the fact that I was having coffee with him. Once we'd sat down on the plush couch chairs of the coffee joint, the conversation began to flow. We talked about books, movies and all the annoying things about having exes. He told me a bit about his job as a private practice doctor, while I told him about my job at a business consultancy. We talked excessively about music, his eclectic tastes finding familiarity in mine. He loved laughing, and when he laughed, it made me want to smile, especially at the thought that I had made him laugh.

Of course, eventually, I had to explain to him who Mike and Jessica were and why I hadn't noticed the 'cash-only' sign at the grocery. He'd shrugged it off and said that I was just having an off-day.

"Well, I must have done something right to have you dazzle the cashier that way," I mumbled as he laughed behind his coffee cup.

"Dazzle?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Is there any other word to describe what you did? I'd never seen anyone change expressions so fast," I giggled.

"I'm never usually this forward with people," I confessed much later, taking a sip of my coffee. "Especially after what happened." I looked up at him and bit my lip, wondering if I had said too much. I had been doing that the whole afternoon. Trying to see what Edward thought, panicking over whether I had crossed some kind of invisible line. He smiled and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked down at his coffee cup like he was having a difficult time looking back up. Suddenly I knew. There it was, the invisible line, and I had just crossed it. I kicked myself mentally.

"Sorry," I said to him. He laughs a little, but still doesn't look up.

"No, I'm sorry," he said, taking a breath before he finally looked up at me. His sharp eyes caught my attention once more, and I released the breath I realized I was holding. "I didn't mean to lead you on like that Bella. It's just that…I have a girlfriend."  
There it was, the truth. My chest literally hurt. Of course he had a girlfriend. No amazing guy like him can ever be single for long. I managed to smile anyway.

"It was nice meeting you, Edward," I said to him.

"It was nice to meet you too," he said to me. "Surreal, but nice."

As I left the coffee house and returned to my car, I sat by myself for a while, taking a deep breath. I had never done anything like that before. I always thought that asking someone out was a mortifying experience, one that was supposed to be left to a guy. Even if Edward did turn out to have someone else, I was glad. Glad that I managed talked to him and ask him to a Starbucks. I leaned back against my chair for a second before my phone began ringing incessantly.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Bella! Where the hell are you? Rosalie and Emmett's rehearsal dinner starts in an hour, and you haven't even seen the dress I picked out for you!" Alice said on the other line, her voice raised and going a mile a minute. I laughed and turned the key in the ignition, making sure she heard.

"I'm on my way home. I'll be there in five minutes," I said to her.

"You'd better. I want you to look fabulous tonight, Bella. No excuses!"

"Is there a particular reason why?" I asked, knowing that since she'd gotten engaged, Rosalie recently decided that she had to find both Alice and me dates to her wedding. We'd been introduced to half, if not the entire Hale clan by now.

"Just get home. I'm just about to hit the shower."  
"Talk to you later, Alice," I smiled before I hung up and sped up my car while thoughts of Edward Masen still danced in my mind. I secretly wished that I would see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

BPOV

By the time my car pulled up to the sidewalk, Alice was already sitting by the steps of our apartment, her arms crossed over her chest. She was pouting like a five-year-old who had been forgotten to be picked up from school, except that this five-year-old was wrapped in a faux fur coat, a white knitted beanie and a gold sequined flower pinned on it. Admittedly, she only threw the outfit together for the sole purpose of sitting out on the steps to wait for me, but Alice still looked fashionable.

"Bella!" she squealed, flying off the paved stairs and launching herself in my arms in a huge hug. "Finally! I almost called the cops," she said with a giggle as she helped take my groceries from the backseat.

"Sorry, I ran a bit late at the grocery," I apologized, trying to force down the blush that was trying to splash my cheeks. Alice noticed but said nothing more about it. I wondered if it was because she was in too big of a hurry.

"Well, come on. I only have an hour to get you ready," Alice said. "And, please, no modifications."  
"Yes, Alice," I said obediently as we climbed the stairs of the apartment building we lived in. Leaving the groceries in the kitchen, Alice immediately sent me to the shower while she threw off her beanie and coat. Walking to my room, she shouted over her shoulder.

"Did you get everything on the list?" she asked as she looked for a good pair of shoes to go with the outfit she bought for me.

"Everything," I echoed, dying to tell her about Edward, about having coffee with him and having him admit that he had been _gripped _by me. I loved that word now, gripped. I smiled to myself as the warm water washed over me.

"Good," Alice said, leaving the room for a moment. I found myself alone with my thoughts, which immediately drifted back to that Starbucks by the grocery. I thought about Edward's shy smile as he spoke in his velvet voice, his sinewy hands holding on to the coffee mug as he lifted it to his red lips.

I found myself grabbing for the cold water almost immediately. Alice knocked repeatedly on the door.

"Bella, you have been in that shower way too long now!" She exclaimed, "You'd better be getting out now."

"I'm out, I'm out," I shouted back, shaking my head as I dried myself off and left the bathroom which opened up to my room. Alice looked at me and smiled.

"I know there's something going on with you," she said, having rummaged through my closet and now tossed underwear my way. "But I am resisting every urge I have to ask because I know Rose would want to hear it too."

She handed me the new dress and made a gesture for me to go to the bathroom.  
_You and I both,_ I thought to myself, heading back to the bathroom with the underwear and the dress. I wasn't usually this helpless in the whole dressing-up process, but I had promised Alice that I would allow her to dress me for this particular event. It was important to Rose, and so it was important to me too. Don't get me wrong, Alice had impeccable taste. It was just that her tastes didn't make me feel at all like…me. Take for example, the dress she bought for tonight. It was black, strapless and was almost made completely of ruffles. Did Alice really think that I could pull off something like this? I zipped myself up and examined myself in the mirror. Irreversible damage due to romantic trauma was still there. Although meeting Edward Masen had made me giddy, my happiness was fading as I faced myself in that bathroom mirror. I wondered if what he said was true, about having a girlfriend. I imagined him thinking that coffee with me would be a good idea, until I dipped my toe into that invisible line. I imagined him thinking up the excuse of the fake girlfriend and congratulating himself as he left the coffee shop on a job well done.

"Bel-_la,"_ Alice called. "Fifteen minutes! Are you finished dressing up?" I sighed and opened the door, finding that Alice was already fully dressed and ready to go. She looked amazing. She'd worn a coffee-and-cream colored dress that fit her perfectly, she'd painted her lips a deep shade of blood red, and she'd worn her brand new red heels. Fashion was an obsession for her, and it was something that Alice took very seriously. She smiled and held up the only pair of heels that I owned. I'd only kept them because they were a gift from both Alice and Rosalie. They were tall, black, and incredibly dangerous on my feet. After applying makeup on me and letting me pull back my own hair, we were ready to go. As I drove to the restaurant, Alice filled the silence with nonsensical chatter, talking rapidly about a pair of shoes that she just had to get, and how her editor was being too picky when it came to the clothes Alice chose for the magazine she worked in. I was too busy thinking about my afternoon to give her my complete attention, and I was sure Alice could tell.

Before I pulled up to the restaurant, Alice took my attention. "Bella," she said in a very serious voice, "I'm dying over here. Please tell me what happened to you at the grocery store!"

I laughed as I killed the engine of the car. "Alice! I can't do that. It would be totally unfair to Rose. You know she hates being left out of things like this, especially since she's been so busy with the wedding," I scolded her as she helped me get out of the car. Tripping on the sidewalk, I gave Alice a sidelong glance as she laughed.

"Okay, okay," she said. "But as soon as we get into that restaurant…"

"We'll grab her and I'll tell you everything," I promised, as we stepped into the comforting warmth of the Italian restaurant. The corners of the walls were filled with all kinds of photographs and knickknacks, and everything was bathed in a yellow glow. Inside, people were drinking champagne, talking, and laughing. Alice and I had barely taken off our coats when Rosalie came immediately towards us, looking fantastic in a blue dress that really brought out her shimmering blonde hair. I was just about to compliment her on it when she screamed.

"At _last_! We've been waiting for you guys so we can have dinner!" she said, as she managed to wrap both Alice and me in a tight hug. "Why don't you go get some champagne and I'll meet you there?"

There was a vein on Rosalie's forehead that throbbed, and I fought the urge to laugh. Clearly, we weren't the ones who needed a drink right now.

"Come on," I urged Alice, pushing her through the crowd towards the bar, where the waiter happily obliged us. He was cute, and was definitely into Alice, as he kept asking her if she needed anything.

"I'm fine, thanks," she chirped at him, and it seemed to make him like her even more. I was laughing as I sipped my champagne when Rosalie came back and dragged us to the bathroom.

"Okay," Rosalie said, as she seemed to brace herself on the counter of the sink. "I _totally_ needed a breather. I'll have that," she said, taking my flute of champagne and downing it. "You guys have no idea how glad I was to see you both step through that door."

"What's wrong, Rose?" Alice asked as we both came to her, I placed my hand on her shoulder while Alice stood close beside her.

"I'm getting _married_ in a week, Alice. A WEEK! I'm never going to have another first again! No more first kiss, no more first orgasm…no more first _multiple_ orgasms…"

"Rose," I warned, as Alice giggled.

"Bella, I'm being serious here," she said, shooting me a dark look. "I know right now we're _completely_ happy, but what if it doesn't last after we get married? The firsts made everything so exciting, so _tingly_, and so _new_. What if I _never_ feel this way again?" She breathed, and I was worried that she would start hyperventilating.

Alice was the first to grab her hand and try to calm her down as she rubbed circles on Rosalie's back. "Rosalie, relax. Take a deep breath, that's it. Close your eyes and listen to me and Bella, as we try to make a convincing argument for Emmett."

Then she shot me a look that let me know that I was going to do all the talking. I tried to argue, but eventually just said the first thing that came to mind.

"It's perfectly normal to have cold feet before the wedding," I said uncertainly, giving Alice a strange look. Ever since my opinions on marriage were shafted by Mike Newton, Renee, and Charlie, I wasn't exactly thrilled about being in the position of convincing Rosalie go down the same road that I had been on. I was only keeping my opinions to myself in front of Rosalie because I thought that she would be over something like this. I thought that she was completely sure about marrying Emmett.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed, as if reminding me that I was supposed to be talking Rosalie into getting married to Emmett. I nodded and kept talking. "Rose, Emmett is a wonderful guy. You're perfect for each other."

"What does that even mean, Bella? You and Mike were perfect for each other, and he still played baseball with Jessica in your backseat."

"That's true," I confessed, as I swallowed down the rush of emotions that threatened to rise up my throat. "I thought that Mike and I were perfect together then, but Rose, you can't back out on Emmett while he hasn't really done anything but be wonderful to you," I said, not really sure if I was being convincing. I gave Alice a look, a cry for help. I wasn't supposed to be the one doing this.

"You know what," Alice said as her head snapped up. "How about Bella and I distract you with a bit of news?"

"News?" Rosalie asked, looking up at Alice. Clearly, she was intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Alice said, as she acted all coy and innocent. "Did you ever wonder _why_ Bella and I were late to dinner?"

"Oh, I am _very_ curious now," she said, turning to me like she was a lioness that had found her prey. I felt like stepping back a bit before Rosalie's mood swing slapped me in the face. It was one of the things that I loved about her. She could switch emotions, just like that. Emmett was lucky enough to have kept up with her all this time. "Do tell, Alice."

"I can't tell you much," Alice said, swinging her long legs under the counter as she sat on it. "But I'm pretty sure Bella would be happy to fill you in on all the details."

"Bella?" Rosalie had a grin that would have scared me if I hadn't already seen it before.

So I had to narrate to them the details of my epic grocery trip. I told them that I'd seen the Newtons and that, in my desperate attempt to avoid them, I had ended up at the wrong line. I told them that I was lucky that a man with a velvety voice had saved me. I left out the part about Alexa's call, simply because I was rushing to get to the part about Edward. I didn't tell them his full name, remembering from previous experience that Rosalie could track him down and then do something I would rather not repeat here. By the time I told them about drinking coffee with him, my mind went off to a completely different place. I imagined myself there again, seeing myself as I laughed with him and as I wondered if he would ever hold my hand.

"It seemed silly, but I really felt this connection to him. A strange pull, if that makes any sense," I said, laughing it off.

"Oh Alice, she's absolutely _glowing!"_ Rosalie chided as she and Alice giggled.

By the end of my story, all three of us were giddy and excited once again. My cheeks burned simply at the thought that they _knew_ what happened. They began to tease me about him when I reminded them that he was seeing someone else. I also reminded them that I had exchanged no contact details whatsoever with him.

"But you do want to see him again, don't you?" Alice asked. "It's like that movie…uhm…"

"_Serendipity_," Rosalie sighed as she let the word roll off her tongue, it was her favorite movie and her favorite word. "What an afternoon! I wonder if you'll ever see him again…"

"I doubt it," I snorted, but looked up at the ceiling, as if to remind someone up there that I had made a secret wish to see Edward Masen again.

"Speaking of _Serendipity_," Rosalie grinned, her attention turned to Alice. "I know someone who has been _dying_ to meet you."

"Oh Rose, not another one of your set-ups," Alice groaned as she managed to hop off the bathroom counter. "The last time you set me up on a blind date, I ended up sitting in a bingo hall with your cousin. I know how this one is going to end, and it's not a good one."

"Well, I didn't know he was _that_ into bingo," Rosalie said defensively. She had a tendency to emphasize at least one word every so often, and it was one of the reasons why people were so drawn to her. "And I'm sorry if I don't want to subject you two to the 'always a bridesmaid' talk when my wedding comes. You both know that _everyone_ loves preying on a lonely bridesmaid. This is different, I promise. He's a friend of Emmett's, not a relative of mine. He's supposed to be a brilliant psychologist and he just arrived from the _south_."

"The south?" Alice repeated, trying her hardest not to laugh in Rosalie's face at the way she said it. "Okay, fine. Introduce me to Emmett's friend. But Rosalie, you have to promise that after him, you will never set me up again with any other guy for the rest of my life. Do you promise?"

"I _promise_," she said earnestly, about to cross her fingers behind her back when Alice pointed a finger at her.

"No finger-crossing!" Alice exclaimed, and Rosalie finally relented. She grabbed both our arms and led us back out to the restaurant, where Emmett had been waiting by the door.

"Rosalie!" he said, "I was getting worried about you in there." Her lips breaking out into a smile, Rosalie immediately wrapped her arms around Emmett's large frame, burying her face in his chest for a moment. I could tell that the insecurities we had managed to distract her from earlier rushed back in as soon as she held her fiancé in her arms. We walked towards the main dining area of the restaurant together as people began to sit down and have their meal. Rosalie kissed Emmett's cheek and noticed someone standing right behind him.

"Oh!" she said excitedly, her head whipped towards Alice. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Alice Brandon, Bella Swan, this is Jasper Whitlock, Emmett's friend."

"Ow. He's not just a friend," Emmett said after Rosalie jabbed him in the stomach. "He's one of my best buddies in the whole world."

"Alice and Bella are my best friends too," Rosalie clarified for Jasper. "Did I tell you that _Alice_ is one of the junior fashion editors for _Vogue_ magazine?"

Jasper's eyes never left Alice throughout the whole conversation. For a shrink, he looked really good. His eyes seemed so…aware of everything around him that it seemed so intense when he fixed his gaze on Alice. She seemed just as attracted to him as he was to her. She held out a hand for him to shake.

"It's nice to meet you, Jasper," she said with a smile. Jasper gallantly bent down to place a soft kiss on her hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you too, Miss Brandon," he said in his sexy Southern drawl. "I've heard so much about you."

"Oh!" she said in pleasant surprise, "I have to admit, that makes me feel terrible for hardly knowing anything about you."

"Shall we sit together at dinner?" Jasper suggested, holding out a hand for Alice to wrap around. She was very pleased with this and gave a "yes" almost immediately. Sighing, I took a glass of red wine from the carafe and took a sip. I took the time to scan my eyes quickly around the room, looking for any sign of my mother or Alexa. Renee was pretty close to Rosalie's parents, which was probably why Alexa was invited to come as well. I didn't really feel like discussing my non-existent love life with Renee, especially with Rosalie's wedding being so close. She became even more persistent during June weddings, or weddings in general. As for Alexa…well, tonight wasn't really the night to be having a discussion about our frigid relationship.

Soon enough, dinner ended, and everyone began to stand up and mingle once again. There was a tiny podium setup where everyone was welcomed to come forward and say something to the happy couple. Rosalie's father said a few touching words, and then Emmett's mother did the same. One by one, people said a few words for Emmett and Rosalie, and, little by little, I could see the panic rising in her face as her bubbled insecurities began to boil. I was trying to find Alice to talk to her about it when I felt someone standing behind me.

"Did you have the fish or the lamb?" a voice behind me said, and I almost jumped at the surprise. I had heard that voice so often in my mind that day that I was surprised when I actually heard it. "Personally, I enjoyed the lamb, but everyone keeps telling me about how the dory was creamy."

"Edward," I breathed, without actually looking at him. "This is a surprise."

"I could say the same about you," he said with a grin as he stood next to me. "Are you with the bride or with the groom?"

I took that moment to steal a glance at him. His perfect features formed the same crooked smile I had replayed in my mind the whole afternoon. He was wearing a white shirt and slacks. He looked good, and as he turned his head to me and I could feel my legs sliding under me, like warm butter down hot toast.

"With the bride, I'm with the bride," I said hurriedly, as if trying to make up for the time that had slowed when I looked at him. "I'm actually a bridesmaid."

He nodded at that, not saying anything in reply. I found it within myself to carry on the conversation.

"And I'm guessing you're with the groom," I said, swirling the wine in my glass like there was something interesting in it.

"Yes. Best man," he said proudly, and I nodded.

"I guess I'll be seeing more of you, then," I concluded in my mind, not really sure if I was completely happy about it. It would be a bad idea to try and get closer to him, especially if he was already dating someone else, but… I knew there was something between us. I felt myself being drawn to him, like he was my other half. It seemed strange, irrational, and completely juvenile, but I couldn't find another way to describe it.

"Yes…about that," he said, but he was interrupted by someone who wanted to make a toast for Rosalie and Emmett. Everyone's heads turned to the podium as I held back a bitter laugh. Of course it was Alexa. She always had perfect timing. Today was a great example, calling me when I was in the middle of hiding from Mike and Jessica.

She smiled at everyone as she held her wineglass lightly, confidently. She was wearing a green dress and looked extremely comfortable in her heeled gladiators. Her dark hair was let down in its naturally loose waves, and there was something about her makeup that made her eyes sparkle. No wonder everyone had gone quiet. Just the sight of Alexandra Swan made everyone stop in his or her tracks.

"Hi," she said into the microphone as she broke into the grin she always had when she was speaking to a crowd. I had seen her do it at weddings, at family reunions, and at Renee's bridal shower. "Most of you don't know me. I'm Alexa Swan, and I met Emmett when he was still a high school jock, back in college."

Most of the people laughed at her quip, and Emmett blushed a deep red as he said something in protest. I didn't know that he and Alexa knew each other.

"Back then," she continued, "Emmett already knew what he wanted in a dream girl. One, she had to look like Heidi Klum. Two, she had to bake cookies just like his mother."  
Another round of smiles came at that. Alexa smiled at Emmett's mother, who placed her hand on her chest in recognition. Beside her, Renee beamed proudly at Alexa.

"I think we all agree that Rosalie fits the bill perfectly," Alexa continued, gesturing a hand towards Rosalie. "And if everyone would join me, I would like to make a toast. Oh, and uhm…Edward, could you come over here for a second?" she asked, blushing a bit in embarrassment as her eyes flickered towards us.

All eyes immediately turned towards Edward, who smiled good-naturedly and joined Alexa at the podium. As he made his way to her, she gave a bit of an explanation. "Most of you know," she said with a proud smile, "that Emmett was the one who first introduced me to Edward."

I felt my heart sink completely to the floor as Edward wrapped an arm around Alexa's waist and kissed the top of her head. She absolutely beamed as I felt my chest pound and throb. I felt like I couldn't breathe as she raised her glass to the couple, as everyone followed suit. The worst wasn't over as my body became completely numbed by the sound of my sister's voice.

"Emmett, Rosalie," she said, the mocking grin that spread across her face seemed reserved especially for me. "If Edward and I become anywhere near as happy as you guys are…well, we can consider ourselves the luckiest people in the world. Here's to your new life together, and the first of many more firsts to come."

My knees shook as everyone clinked glasses. I could feel tears well up in my eyes as Edward leaned in and whispered something into Alexa's ear that made her blush. Upon seeing Rosalie's visibly relaxed face and Alice's smile, I turned on my heels and walked away. I walked away from the restaurant, from everything. I slid into the front seat of my car and buried my face behind the wheel after immediately kicking off my heels. This was the story of my life. The guy who was perfect for me fell in love with my sister.

How serendipitous.


	3. Chapter 3

My Favorite Accident

Chapter Three: My New Weekend Plans

Chapter Summary: A conclusion to the previous chapter's rehearsal dinner. Bella and Edward are formally introduced, and Rosalie lets out a bit of a bombshell.

BPOV

It took me a moment to assess my current situation. First, I was very much aware that I was in the front seat of my car. My coat was in the restaurant, and my keys were in the purse I had thrown at the passenger seat. _Rosalie could give me back my coat tomorrow_, I thought to myself as I grabbed my purse and reached blindly for the keys. It would have been so easy to just drive away from this. That way I don't have to face my sister when she makes a formal introduction of Edward, as she had promised me over the phone that afternoon. I wouldn't have to face Edward's reaction to the news that hey, the girl from Starbucks was actually genetically related to his current girlfriend.

No wonder he was interested in me. Apparently Alexa and I actually had something in common.

I had just thrust the keys into its proper place when the passenger door opened and Alice had let herself in.

"Bella," she said cautiously. "Are you okay? Jasper and I saw you storm out."  
I laughed bitterly at that. Alice barely knew the guy and already she was referring to them as a single unit. I had actually stormed out of a place instead of simply disappearing into a crowd, which I tended to do. I secretly hoped that nobody else had seen me.

"I'm fine," I lied. "I just remembered I had to do something…at home."  
"Something?" Alice echoed. I knew she was digging a hole for me here. I was a horrible liar, and Alice knew that. There was no way I could tell her why I had left. I felt so stupid for thinking about him, for being so giddy at nothing and even for wishing that I would see him again! It all felt so ridiculous now. I had been drawn to a complete stranger. Except now, he's not a stranger anymore. Edward, from being a random guy from the supermarket became Edward, Alexa's boyfriend. All I wanted right now was to go home.

"Yeah, I…I forgot to put the groceries away," I said as I shifted my fingers across the curve of the steering wheel.

"Bel-_la,"_ Alice repeated, the same intonation her voice usually took when she wanted me to do something. It was a tone that I had grown to recognize in the years we had known each other. "I know about Edward."  
"What?" I asked her and my hand slipped, making the car let out a loud honk. We both jumped a little, and Alice giggled a bit before she turned to me.

"Oh come now Bella. I saw the look on your face when Alexa called him to the stage with her, and that you were talking to him before the speeches. It has to be Edward."  
I said nothing as I played with the ruffles on my dress. I was pretending to ignore Alice. She didn't usually have such good perceptions of people, so I assumed that my actions had been incredibly transparent.

"Call me a liar," Alice dared me.

"No," I immediately said. "And you're right. It's Edward. Oh Alice, I didn't know what else to do, I just had to get out of there," I said exasperatedly, not knowing how I would be able to lie to Alice two times in a row. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, but I knew that none of that would do me any good. So I was here, in my car, trying desperately to escape the situation. I touched my forehead against the steering wheel, just like I had when I first climbed into the car.

"Okay, It's okay Bella," Alice said soothingly, rubbing gentle circles on my back. "I'll switch places with you so you can tell me everything on the way home."  
I looked up at Alice, her warm, buttery gold eyes as sincere as they had been since the day I find out about Mike and Jessica. She had been the first one there for me, letting me bawl it out in her car as she yelled at Mike to stay away. I could still hear her voice yelling at him, 'No, you don't get to be here! No!' So much of this moment reminded me of that scene that was still so fresh in my mind. Alice's sincere smile as she told me that everything was going to be okay, the pain that had exploded in my chest too much for me to handle.

But then my eyes were diverted towards something that was new to the scene. Behind Alice, leaning against the building and looking quite cold, was Jasper. He glanced nervously towards the car, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets for some kind of warmth. Party guests were already leaving the restaurant, but Jasper didn't seem to notice any of them. It didn't take a genius to figure out who Jasper was waiting for. I sighed and looked back at Alice, whose expression did not change as she waited for my answer.

"No, Alice," I managed to say. She drew her hand back as I leaned against my seat. "It's fine. We can stay."

I could swear that a look of relief had crossed Alice's face. Clearly, Rosalie had finally made a real love match. Alice wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me so tightly that I almost lost my breath. Not to say that I hadn't lost my breath because of her hugs before.

"Oh Bella," she said to me. "It'll be okay, you'll see. After the wedding, you won't even have to see him anymore! And…and look on the bright side. It's not like we have to really bond or anything. After this, we'll see him once at the wedding, and that it will be that, right?"

It would have been selfish of me to just have Alice leave without at least giving Jasper a proper goodnight. It would have been selfish of me to simply leave Rosalie's dinner just because of a boy. This wasn't high school anymore, nor was this Bella Swan Post-Mike Newton. I could be civil and mature if I wanted to. Everything, or the lack of anything that happened between Edward and me was far from the relationship Mike and I had.

So why did my chest still hurt as I walked back into the restaurant? There were still a few people who stayed to mingle a bit more. In the center of the room, I saw Edward and Alexa dancing to the jazz music that played over the speakers. She was laughing about something that he'd said, making her lean towards him as he planted a quick kiss on the top of her head.

A waiter with champagne glasses passed my way and I reached out a hand to grab a flute. _Just in time,_ I thought to myself. I was surprised when my fingers only managed to clasp a few strands of Rosalie's silky blonde tresses.

"Bella!" She said to me excitedly, and it was the tone of her voice that made me nervous. She hadn't even said anything yet, and already I wanted to say no. Rosalie pulled my arm as she rattled off on how her cousin's friend was a musician and that he was really excited to meet me.

"And when he mentioned that he liked listening to jazz, it just _clicked_," Rosalie said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe I hadn't introduced him to you before!"

"Rose," I groaned. "I really don't want to be meeting guys right now."  
"Because of your grocery boy_?_ Oh darling, _please_! What if Tanya's friend actually turns out to be your grocery boy? Now, wouldn't that be convenient?"  
"Surprisingly so," I replied as Rosalie's pull on my arm loosened. "Now _James_, this is Bella. _Bella_, this is Tanya's cousin James, the guy I was talking to you about."

We stood in front of a good-looking guy, with an easy smile and…a tattoo on his hand. It was an odd place to have one, especially one of what looked like a lizard of some kind.

"Hi," he said to me, his voice deep and rolling, like waves that were crashing on a shore. He held out his hand to shake mine, and the lizard on his hand seemed to be waving at me as well.

"Hi," I managed to say back, barely noticing his firm grip on my hand. I didn't mind tattoos, really. Some people like getting ink done. It was just that…after I met Edward, and I hated to admit this to myself then, I just didn't seem to notice anyone else. Nobody had me gripped the way he had. I hated that word now, gripped. It ruined any chance of me having a normal conversation with Tanya's friend, who looked really nervous as he saw that I wasn't really paying attention. I smiled at him, and was about to open my mouth to strike an actual awkward conversation when—

"Bellie!" For once, my sister developed perfect timing. I turned around to face her, and noticed that her cheeks were pink from the champagne and strawberries as she came to me. Even drunk, Alexa knew that I was not that much of a hugger. She also knew that I _hated_ being called anything other than Bella. I don't know why she insisted on calling me that stupid nickname. I didn't go around yelling _Lexie_ when I was drunk. Well maybe now I would. You had to understand; my sister had been the farthest thing from my mind before today, and now I was dizzy from the length of time we were actually in the same social circles.

"Alexa," I said, letting my sister drag me away from James as Rosalie practically fumed at me for not even trying to talk to him. "You're drunk."  
She laughed at me, waving a hand over to someone to come towards us. I assumed she was calling a waiter over to bring her more champagne, which I was partial for at the moment. "I'm not drunk," Alexa explained, her pink cheeks flushing even more. "I'm nervous. Yes, nervous is the perfect word for what I am right now. Yoo-hoo! Yes, thank you!"

She took two flutes of champagne and, as she had done ever since she first discovered social drinking, popped strawberries into both our glasses, making the drink sweeter than usual. I wasn't too fond of the strawberries, but they certainly added a nice fizz to the drink. Alexa's shiny brown hair fell away from her face as she saw someone approach us. My heart sank the moment her eyes began to sparkle and as a smile spread across her lips. I wanted to choke on a strawberry and die as I saw my sister reach for his pale, smooth hand and clasp it firmly. The worst part was seeing the exact same expression on his face, an expression, it seemed was reserved only for my older sister. He laughed as he took a sip of my sister's drink, looking quite amused as she popped the strawberry into her mouth. After a few moments of watching them, I was about to turn around and leave again when Alexa called me again.

"Bellie, don't go! I really wanted you to meet someone," she said to me. The more she stood next to me, the more I wanted to choke her with her own darn strawberry. Why did he have to fall for her? Before Mike Newton I had one insecurity. Growing up a single child in Arizona with a scatterbrained mother was hard, but was only made worse by my mother's monthly exclamations of my supposed older sister in Washington who was head of the student council, while I was barely standing my social ground. My older sister, who became prom queen before she got a scholarship to Dartmouth while I would much rather spend a day in a library, reading than behind a desk, studying. Any picture I saw of her was like something out of a magazine. Renee was forever upset with how I could never manage to tame my hair. When I moved to Washington, Charlie spoke nothing but goodness about Alexa, even if she had abandoned him the same way Renee had. Now, standing so close to her, all those feelings rushed back, made only worse by the fact that she was holding the hand of the one guy I had felt so intensely connected to.

I decided I would much rather stab her with my own heel.

"Edward, this is my little sister, Isabella. Bella, this is Edward Masen, my boyfriend."

Alexa's words barely registered to me, so I was taken aback by his hand as he held it out for me. I looked up and stared into his intense eyes, the same blue-green eyes that had captured me right away. The same copper hair that I wanted to touch and the same face I had become so familiar with that it scared me. Keeping my eyes on his, I managed to place my hand into his, feeling his grim grip on my hand, my fingers brushing against his palm. The same electricity from this afternoon shot through my body. Although it was familiar, it did not make it any more comfortable.

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Bella," his voice spoke, and I didn't recognize his words until they came out. "I see the family resemblance, Alexa."

My eyes widened at him immediately. What was he trying to do? I closed my eyes for a brief second, trying to refocus them before I turned to Edward's face once again. They were intense, but for entirely different reasons. It was like he was begging me to do something. To play along with the fact that he and I had only met for the very first time, right here and now. But why?

"It's…a pleasure to meet you too," I managed to say, pulling my hand away from his immediately.

"I'm so glad you two finally get to know each other," Alexa said with a smile as she leaned against Edward affectionately. Edward's gaze remained firm as he stared at me, the easy smile from earlier now completely gone. He was studying me, trying to determine and predict what I was going to do or say next. Suddenly I felt…offended. Why did he think it would be such a big deal that we had met before? It wasn't as if he had cheated on Alexa. But his eyes…they seemed cold, calculating somehow. I wanted to just open my mouth and scream out the truth.

"Yo, Edward, come here for a second," Emmett yelled over the din of the people that was in between him and us. Edward's face immediately melted into an easy smile, saying a quick 'excuse me' and giving Alexa a kiss on the cheek before going over to see what Emmett wanted. I was furious at him then. Furious for being so casual with me until he learned who my sister was, for thinking that I would be the one to spill his big secret and…maybe I hated him because he had barely smiled at me, not even in the same way he had smiled at Alexa before. As he left, Alexa sighed and giggled.

"I really like him, you know," she said to me.

"I know," I replied immediately, looking around for Alice and wondering where she and Jasper had gone.  
"Was it like this when you and Mike were together?" Alexa asked me, and immediately I felt sour bile rise up my throat as I turned to her again. How could she ask me that? After her emotionally abandoning me for most of my life, she's asking me about Mike Newton? _Now?_

"I cannot believe you asked me that," I said to her as I shook my head. "You're about a year off there, sis."

I let out a frustrated groan and walked away. Behind me, I heard Alexa gasp and follow me outside, her heels clicking exactly on the pavement as I wobbled along. No wonder she caught up with me.  
"Bella!" She said to me. "Can we please talk about this like rational adults? I just wanted to know how you were after what happened with Newton."  
"Well you have incredibly amazing timing," I said to her sarcastically, biting back my anger before I said something really horrible, or something that would make this into a sister moment. The last thing I ever wanted, and the last thing I needed from Alexa Swan. "And how dare you be so…intrusive! It's not like you were even there when it happened, so just stay out of it. And speaking of being intrusive, when was the last time you talked to Charlie?"

I knew I crossed a line when I said that. Charlie was always her weak spot. As I expected, Alexa fumed, but said nothing as she glared at me, crossing her arms over her chest. We were so busy staring at each other that we didn't notice Jasper coming up behind us until he coughed a little behind Alexa.

"Jas!" She said as she jumped, placing a hand on her chest. "You scared me."

"I wasn't sure how I was gonna break the tension," he said with a shrug. "Did you gals fight or something?"

"We're fine," Alexa snapped immediately, flickering a glance at me as she turned to Jasper again. "What's going on?"

"Rosalie wanted us all inside, she wanted to make an announcement," Jasper explained with another shrug. Alexa nodded and went inside with him while I tagged uselessly behind. Rosalie was at the head of the room, surrounded by Alice, Emmett, Edward and soon enough, Alexa, Jasper and finally myself. She pulled us all into a very awkward circle. I could tell something was up by the smile that was on her face.

"Pack your bags, kids. My parents just told us that they were flying us to the beach house _tomorrow_ for the wedding!" Rosalie exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. Alice gasped and squealed in delight beside me as the guys expressed positively towards the news as well. Rosalie was having her wedding at their family home somewhere on the coast. It was supposed to be a beautiful place, and where Rosalie had seen herself getting married since she was a little girl. It was a big deal for her then, that we be the first ones to see the place. I wasn't too sure about how I felt about this. A whole week with Edward?

"Oh don't worry Alexa! I told my mom, and she totally agreed that you should be a bridesmaid too," I heard Rosalie say behind me as she fell into conversation with the guys. I looked around and realized that I was in desperate need to a drink. Alice came to me as I swallowed down a shot of tequila. I needed some form of strength.

"Can you believe it, Bella? A whole week, just us!" She asked me.

"Not really."

End Chapter


	4. Chapter 4

My Favorite Accident

Chapter Four: Before My Hellish Flight

EPOV

Neither of us said a word as the highway zipped right across our windows. It had been freezing cold outside, and the soft humming of the heaters was the only thing I heard in the car. Without saying a word, Alexa rummaged for something in her bag and brought out the iPod I bought for her last birthday. It was one of those that were no longer being made, which, Alexa used to say, made it all the more special. Bending over to the radio, she plugged it in, and soon the silence and the humming was replaced by what I recognized as Aerosmith's _Sweet Emotion_. Ah, her obsession for Steven Tyler reemerges. I laughed as she offered me a smile and I squeezed her hand as she began to sing.

We were on our way to the airport to meet up with everyone before we flew to Venice Beach. We were spending a week there before the wedding. It took some convincing on Emmett's part, but I knew that it would have been impossible for any of us to say no, especially after Rosalie offered Alexa to be a bridesmaid as well. It was an incredible gesture, one Alexa was incredibly grateful for. I turned my eyes towards her again. She was still singing, her eyes concentrated on the highway as her mind drifted elsewhere. I caught a glimpse of her eyes, and realized that she and Bella shared the exact same eyes.

Bella again. Why was it so hard not to think about her? Perhaps because I felt guilty for hiding the truth from Alexa, forcing Bella to lie as well. Honestly, I'm not sure why I did that. I just couldn't stand the thought of being the kind of man who cheated on Alexa with her sister.

Although I didn't exactly cheat on Alexa, did I? It was just a cup of coffee, perhaps the best cup of coffee I had ever had, and that had nothing to do with the actual liquid drink. I thought back to that day, remembering every detail. Bella and I had talked endlessly about everything that came into our minds, her dark brown hair spilling over her shoulders; her pale cheeks turning the most alluring share of crimson. When I hugged her at the supermarket, I had been immediately assaulted by her scent. Although I remembered it, I still had no idea what it was, sweet, however not overly so. I remembered her biting her lip right after she had said something that she felt was too personal.

"Edward, I want you to listen _very_ carefully to this song, and I am sure that you will be convinced," Alexa said, immediately drawing me out of my thoughts. I smiled, and sighed as _Bette Davis Eyes_ played. "Leighton Meester _can_ be a recording artist."  
"I never disagreed with you on that," I pointed out to her. "I simply said that it would be hard for her to become like any of the greats, especially since she established her career through a TV show."  
"You are such a music snob," Alexa laughed, a laugh that I had become so familiar with, that a smile from me was almost involuntary. Alexa and I had known each other for so long that it was as if she was becoming my other half. Just five years ago, she was Emmett's friend. She was mysterious and confusing, and her music tastes were as eclectic as mine. Every waking moment I had spent with Alexa Swan was magical, even now, while we were in the car, I knew that we were happy together. When we argued, huge, explosive arguments that would always inevitably lead me right to Emmett or Jasper's apartment, we never failed to make things work, not because we had to, but because we wanted to.

_It's like you already married her_, my mother once teased, _so why not make it official?_

That hadn't been the first time that I heard that. Jasper, Emmett and even Rosalie had all said something to that effect. I remembered the time when Alexa had gotten appendicitis; she had almost died because she'd been so stubborn about going to the hospital. There I was, a horrible wreck in the waiting room, restraining the tears that had buried into my chest after trying to be so strong. Being a doctor myself, it was worse because I knew the implications of a burst appendix. It could have been so simple, if she hadn't been so stubborn about her stomachache. Once the fever had hit, she still refused to be at the hospital. Now she was in more danger than she should have been.

Emmett came in and checked on me.

"_You okay, man?"_ He'd asked me, and I remembered nodding. I couldn't say anything.

"_She'll get out of this, you'll see,"_ he said to me, like he had been absolutely sure. _"And when she does, you guys can get married."  
_

That was three years ago. I hadn't asked Alexa then, although it was the happiest I had ever been when she finally opened her eyes after the ordeal. I didn't propose to her when we had a huge fight about our relationship two years ago. I had arrived home incredibly late after a horrible surgery, finding that Alexa had been trying to wait up for me, and ended up falling asleep on the couch. I had gotten angry that she had waited, especially after I told her not to. Rest, I had argued, was important.

"_Well, forgive me for being concerned about you."  
"You shouldn't. It's not like you and I are married,"_ I had snapped back. Well, that sent me right to Jasper's place in five minutes. Jasper had suggested a proposal as a solution, and although I thought that was what she wanted, I couldn't. I would love to propose to Alexa…someday. Someday when I didn't feel like I had to. Someday when everything would fall into place, and I would get that feeling, the feeling that I wanted to spend my entire life with this person. I hadn't felt that yet, although we'd joked about it more than once.

We arrived at the airport soon enough, and a look immediately crossed Alexa's face. She was worried about something. I reached over and squeezed her hand affectionately.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and she sighed, biting her lip, just like Bella had.

"I've been worried about this week," she confessed to me. "This is probably the longest Bella and I have spent together in a long time."

"That's good, isn't it?" I asked her, slightly confused. This was the chance she had been waiting for to fix her mangled relationship with her sister. She and I had talked about this a lot in the past few days. She wanted to settle everything with her family, or at least save her relationship with her sister. The divorce had been horrible on them, and as the eldest, I suppose Alexa felt it was her duty to try and make everything right. Which was probably why she had called Renee right after we graduated college, why she spent three days looking for a nice, sentimental gift for Bella last Christmas and why she was so worried right now.

"Bella hates me," she said. "We had an argument last night about Mike and Charlie." She looked down at her lap. She hated arguing, almost as much as she was uncomfortable about talking of her father. "I just want to make everything okay, but it's like she's pushing me away."  
"Maybe you shouldn't try so hard," I said to her, remembering something Bella had said in the coffee shop. "I got the impression that Bella doesn't like being forced into things. _A complete lie,_ I thought to myself. This was something Bella had told me explicitly. "Perhaps just…leave her alone for a few days. I made plans for us for the week, you know."

Alexa's eyes immediately brightened at that, and a blush crept across her creamy cheeks. "What kind of plans?"

I knew I had managed to distract her then. "Come into the airport and I'll tell you there," I said in a husky voice, meaning every word I said. Once the car was parked, I killed the engine and popped open the back to grab our bags. My dad was coming in a while to get the car. By the time I had taken our things, Alexa was already inside the airport, giving me a silly, I-can't-wait-for-you-to-tell-me grin. I laughed and pulled her into my arms, placing my lips on hers in a _very_ promising kiss.

Hm. Sex on a plane should be interesting.

BPOV

Alice and I arrived at the airport in good time, three hours before the flight, like it was prescribed in the ticket Rosalie had delivered this morning. I hefted my bag onto my shoulders, blowing my hair away from my face. It was a bit early in the morning, and we had been in such a hurry that I hadn't had the chance to really brush my hair yet. I was wearing a pair of sweat pants and a tank top under my jacket, along with my favorite pair of Converse. Comfortable yet functional, which was exactly my style. I must have looked pretty dull next to Alice, who had managed to pull together an amazing outfit in the ten minutes it took me to pack. She was wearing her most comfortable pair of heels, if such a thing existed, along with a pair of white cotton pants and her favorite shirt. All of this was buried under her Burberry trench coat. I had no idea that it was a brand name until I saw the label once. Until then I thought it was an affectionate name Alice gave her coat.

Anyway, we entered the airport together, not surprised to see that Emmett and Rosalie were already there, wrapped up in each other's arms and whispering things to each other. I cringed. It wasn't just because I remembered being exactly like that with Mike Newton. Now that I was on the other side of the display, it made me uncomfortable. It was obviously inappropriate, and very public. _Okay Rose, we get it. You love him. Let's move on, shall we?_

I was about to turn and say something to Alice, but she was already elsewhere, walking shyly towards Jasper, letting him take her stroller bag from her. I sighed and shook my head. Two days ago, if someone told me that Alice was going to meet her soul mate through Rosalie, I would have laughed and assumed that they were kidding. Alice might have believed it, she was always that kind. But today, as I saw Jasper and Alice talk like they'd known each other for twenty years instead of two days, I had a strange feeling that there was something between them. A destiny, perhaps, but I couldn't be too sure.

It was, after all, just a feeling.

"I cannot believe you just said that," I heard a voice behind me, one that I didn't immediately recognize until I heard the laughing. I hated my sister's laugh. I remember that I had a nightmare about it the night Mike proposed to me. She was laughing at me while I was desperately looking for my engagement ring, mocking me for settling with him, even if I hadn't been sure. I thought I was.

"Edward, stop!" Alexa said, giggling again. I swallowed my own saliva and turned to face them, finding that it was impossible for me not to look. Edward had his arms around my sister, nuzzling her neck and making her laugh, their bags slung over his shoulders as they made their way to us. My sister had opted to wear jeans and a white cotton shirt on the trip, looking just as stylish as Alice or Rosalie. Suddenly I felt incredibly stupid in my track pants and tank top. I turned away from them and pretended that I hadn't seen anything. At the same time I wondered if Rosalie would object to me stabbing my sister with the nail file that was always in her bag.

Edward and Alexa made their way towards us eventually, still blushing and giggling at each other. Emmett and Rosalie had similar expressions, and Alice and Jasper seemed on the brink of their first…uhm.

_Oh my god, _I thought to myself. _If any of these guys have sex on the plane, I swear I will jump off and die._

"Hey guys," Emmett greeted us all, like it was the first time he saw us. "Lovely weather we're having."  
_Yeah. Lusty with a cloud of self-loathing, coming right our way_, I thought bitterly, shaking my head. I shouldn't be so negative about this. I should have been happy that everyone had very healthy and happy relationships, Edward notwithstanding. I shouldn't be feeling like the… seventh wheel here.

More appropriately, I shouldn't be jealous that Edward wasn't holding my hand.

"I think I'll go buy a snack for the flight," I announced, turning towards the nearby Duty Free and wondering why I had a sudden craving for _Cheetos._

"We'll go with you!" Alice chirped, grabbing Jasper's hand and running over to catch up with me. I smiled at Alice's enthusiasm, letting her take my own hand as the three of us made our way to the Duty Free like an odd trio. I quickly spotted the _Cheetos_ and grabbed a bag, while Alice grabbed some _Toblerone._

"Don't be so down Bella," Alice reassured me as we perused the magazines. "Jasper says you seem uncomfortable about this."  
"Jasper says?" I echoed as Alice nodded and took a copy of _InStyle_ magazine. "He's really good with reading other people, how they feel. He says its part of his job."  
We both stole glances over at Jasper, who was talking amicably with one of the salespeople, having a seemingly heavy discussion on _Aquafina_ and other bottled water. I couldn't really imagine Jasper studying my face for innermost thoughts, although he did seem pretty quiet.

Upon seeing him throw a quick smile at her, Alice giggled and blushed. Honestly, I'd never seen her like that with someone she only met yesterday.

"You really like him, don't you?" I say to Alice, and she nodded.

"More than any other guy I've actually been on a date with. It's really weird, but so exciting at the same time," Alice said, biting her lip. "Oh Bella, I really like him. I think he could be…you know…"  
"Already?" I asked her in disbelief. "It took you less than a day?"  
"Well, I always thought that I would know right off bat," Alice said with a shrug. "And I think I did with him. I don't know."

Something about the way Alice spoke came off as incredibly familiar to me. I bit my lip when I realized that I thought the exact same way when I first met Edward. I stole a glance at him as I went to pay for my Cheetos and paperback; he and Alexa were having a rapid conversation with Rosalie and Emmett, something that made them all laugh. I kept my eyes on him, trying my hardest to ignore the fact that I wanted to hold his hand, that I wanted to be closer to him, that I knew I was ignoring my destiny when I ignored him, if that was even possible.

"If you stare at him just a little longer, he may start meltin'," Jasper said jokingly behind me, making Alice giggle. I playfully hit his shoulder and made my comeback.

"Well, if you just keep staring at Alice, you may just start melting."

Jasper's face lit up in a handsome smile as he started laughing. I was just about to bring out my money to pay for my Cheetos when Jasper placed his and Alice's purchases with mine.

"Hey!" I said, about to say something when Jasper handed the cashier his credit card. My annoyance immediately turned to embarrassment.

"Jasper, you don't have to--"Alice and I began, but he held his hand up to silence us both.

"It was the least I could do," he said to us. "We have quite a flight ahead of us, and I wouldn't want you ladies to be unprepared."

He took the plastic bag from the cashier, distributing the goods between us. I got my Cheetos and paperback, Alice accepted her Toblerone and magazines, while Jasper stuffed his water bottles down his backpack.

"You'll never know when we might need 'em," he said with a shrug at Alice's inquisitive stare.

"Aw, Jas, that's cute," she cooed, "You're afraid of flying."  
"Am not."

I walked ahead of the two, shaking my head with a smile. Those two were so cute, and Jasper had made a very nice gesture. As I watched Emmett and Rosalie share a sandwich, I was immediately struck with a memory. I remembered the night before my rehearsal dinner; I was at home with a horrible cold. Mike had come home early and told me to stay in bed as he made dinner. Now, Mike Newton may be many things, but he was not a very good cook. His attempt at making chicken noodle soup was salty and inedible, but it was warm, and it made me laugh that he had tried. I remembered lying in his arms and thinking how lucky I was that I would be spending the rest of my life like this.

"_Bella!_" Rosalie's voice shook me right out of my own thoughts. She beckoned me over to the gate of the airport as we were boarding the plane.

"Sorry, Rose," I said apologetically. "I was just thinking of something."

To my surprise, Rosalie threw her arms around me in a tight hug. "Thanks for being so _amazing_ through all of this. I know you and Alexa don't exactly get along—"  
"It doesn't matter, Rosalie," I said to her with a smile. "Everything's okay. You just worry about the wedding."  
"Alice and I will literally be taking over from the time we land in California," Rosalie said with a laugh, shaking her blond hair. "God Bella, I'm so _excited._"

"I couldn't be happier for you, Rose," I said as I hugged her. It was true, I couldn't. Nobody deserved the wedding more that Emmett and Rosalie. They wanted to be happy together, and the wedding would be just one of the things that would make them move forward with their relationship. It was romantic and mature, yet still very much like them both.

"I know you haven't had experience with this before, but I was wondering if you would reconsider--"

"Edward!" My sister said in a hissed but playful tone. "No matter how much you try to talk me into this, I will never, _ever_ have sex on a plane! Even if it's with you."  
"What if I tell you that we're flying first class on a Boeing?"

"Edward!"

That, however, I was still not okay with.


	5. Chapter 5

My Favorite Accident

Chapter Five: After My Hellish Flight

Chapter Summary: The first night at the wedding location. Bella and Edward set things straight, plus Emmett makes plans.

BPOV

I shut the door of my room behind me as soon as we arrived at the Hales' beach house. It was a beautiful room; the pale blue and white had matched the color of the clear sky outside. The windows were actually tall glass doors that opened up into a balcony overlooking the beach outside. The room smelled like the sea, which was probably why I suddenly felt so…calm. After everything that had happened on the way here, I was grateful to finally be _alone_. I took a deep breath and placed my bag on the bed to start unpacking. I put aside the stuff that I was going to use specifically for the wedding and placed my clothes in the dresser.

After unpacking my clothes and undies, I reached into my carry-on bag and unknowingly pulled out my boarding pass from the flight. As I did, I tried not to think about what had happened on the way over. I touched the small bump on my forehead and winced as it still hurt somewhat. Once I threw the pass into the trash bin, I decided to go down to the kitchen to look for some ice. I made my way downstairs to the kitchen where I heard someone let out a small yell. Wondering who it was, I was surprised to find my sister standing an arm's length away from the stove as she stirred something in a large pot. The kitchen was an absolute mess, and I was pretty sure she wasn't holding on to a paper towel just for fun.

"Alexa?" I asked, making her jump in surprise as she turned to me.

"Bella!" She exclaimed, as if embarrassed that she had been caught red-handed. "You scared me." She was still attempting to stir the soup. "Did you want ice for that?" she asked, indicating the bump that was still very much red on my forehead.

"No, it's fine, I can get it myself," I said, watching her warily as I walked towards the freezer with my towel. It was then that I noticed the paper towel in her hand was red.

"You're bleeding," I pointed out to her. "What are you doing?"  
She sighed, and her shoulders slumped. "Trying to make dinner. I figured I'd be the only one to do it since Alice is taking care of Jasper, Edward's taking a nap, you hit your head on the plane and…well, I'd rather not say what Emmett and Rosalie are doing."

As she said all this, the pot of soup tipped over and spilled. We both screamed and scrambled for paper towels as we cleaned up the mess. Each of us was only using one hand, me with one hand nursing my bump with ice and Alexa holding out her injured hand as she used the other to clean up. Neither of us said anything as we wiped the burnt soup off the floor and the air around us seemed so awkward and still.

"When was the last time you tried to make dinner?" I finally said as we threw away the towels and Alexa hurried over to the sink to wash the cut on her hand. It was so strange to see her struggling in the kitchen. I always thought, after seeing both Charlie and Renee's lax cooking skills that both Alexa and I would learn to be decent cooks, or at least learn how to whip up a good meal.

"Uhm…when I almost burned down Edward's apartment because I was attempting to make curry," she admitted. I had to stifle a laugh at that. It was something of a relief to hear, that my sister could actually fail at something so miserably. I shook my head.

"Look, you go to the bathroom and put some Band Aids on that cut," I said. "I'll clean up and we can make dinner together."  
"Okay," Alexa said, sighing as she left the kitchen and walked towards the general direction of the living room, neither of us knew where the first floor bathroom was. As I surveyed the mess in the kitchen, I tried not to think about the fact that I was supposed to be mad at my sister. We had a job to do, that's all. One little thing wasn't enough for a lifetime of issues.

And of course, the little detail about her being in love with the guy I still couldn't stop thinking about.

Later, at around seven o' clock, the other guests of the house made their way downstairs for dinner. Rosalie had been first, calling out and asking us what that smell was.

"Oooh, are we having pasta for dinner?" Alice asked, her voice following Rosalie's as they made their way to the kitchen, where I was tending to the pasta sauce while Alexa was arranging the antipasto on a large plate. I'd done the cutting, just for safety.

"_We'll _set the table," Rosalie volunteered, going right towards one of the tall cabinets in the house and finding all the plates and utensils to supply a small army. "Alice, the tablecloths are by the pantry."

"You guys better not take too long," I chided, "the pasta's almost done."  
They both gave me a mock salute before they made their way to wherever the dining room was to start setting the table. I chuckled and shook my head as they left. I noticed that Alexa was being pretty quiet on her side of the kitchen. She had been like that most of the time that we were making dinner, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to know why. If she had a problem, it was none of my business. If she was uncomfortable, she could have just left me to do this alone.

"Is Jasper going to be okay to join us for dinner?" Alexa asked Alice as she came back to the kitchen for more plates. Alice face brightened at the mention of her special patient, and she nodded. I listened quietly as I put the filling into the tomatoes that I found in the refrigerator. They were a good match to the pasta.

"He was just a little airsick, that's all," she said with a shrug. "Luckily, he bought all that Aquafina with him so he's just resting now."

"That's good to hear," Alexa replied. "We always thought he was kidding when he said he was afraid of flying."  
"How long have you known the guys?" Alice asked curiously, placing her elbows on the counter like a small child who was begging to be told a story. I held back a laugh as I finished up with the tomatoes. I knew what Alice was doing. She was fishing for information both for my purposes and her own. I wasn't really sure what she was trying to fish for because before Alexa could open her mouth, Rosalie appeared at the kitchen doorway with a glass of red wine.

"The two of you better call the guys down," Rosalie said towards Alexa and Alice, "Emmett's hungry and he has no intention of leaving any for us if we don't get to the table soon."

So Alice shrugged and walked upstairs with Alexa in tow, and I heard them both giggling as they made their way up the stairs. I couldn't help but feel a slight flash of annoyance at them both. Alice, for betraying me, and Alexa for being…well, right now everything about my sister annoyed me.

"Bella," Rosalie said and I got distracted from staring at the staircase. "Are you okay? You've been kind of quiet _all_ day."

"I'm always quiet," I said with a shrug as Rosalie let me take a sip of her wine. She stood next to me and we both leaned against the white kitchen counters.

"Not when Alice and I are around," she pointed out. "And come _on_, Bella. I've known you for _years_. I think I would know when something's going on with you, so tell me."

She placed an arm around me, and I couldn't help but sigh and give it all up. There was no hiding a secret from Rosalie. Alice and I had tried that many times before, but she always managed to get us to confess. If she wasn't a fashion designer she'd make a scary cop. When she realized exactly who Edward was, she gasped and almost dropped her glass.

"Bella, I am _so _sorry!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around me. "If I knew, I wouldn't have—"  
"No, Rose," I said, shaking my head as I placed my hands on her arms. "Don't say that. I'm glad you did this, really. "  
"But Bella—"  
"Guys, can we have dinner now? I'm totally starving," Emmett interrupted as his head popped in. He saw us and blushed a bit, looking a bit embarrassed that he'd interrupted.

"Sorry."  
"You can make it up to me by bringing that," I said, pointing towards the large bowl of soup. Rosalie, Emmett and I brought the food into the dining room (which, under Alice's ingenuity and the Hales' fine tastes, reminded me of a local restaurant) where Jasper, Alice, Alexa and Edward were waiting to eat. As the meal was placed on the table, everyone seemed to get hungrier.

It wasn't as uncomfortable as I'd initially thought it would be. Rosalie had raided her dad's wine cabinet and brought out a bottle for us to drink. Emmett wouldn't stop making fun of Jasper's airsickness; so Jasper used some kind of psychology hoopla to rationalize Emmett's behavior.

"See, Emmett here is a big bully for three reasons," Jasper pointed out. "One, underneath all that male bravado there's a insecure little girl just banging on the closet door trying to get out."

"What did he just call me?" Emmett muttered towards Rosalie, who shushed him and encouraged Jasper to go on. Alexa almost spit out her food, and Edward grinned as Alice and I both laughed. I imagined Emmett in little blonde ringlets screaming for his Mom.

"Two, like a caveman, Emmett's brain is... underdeveloped."

"Dude!" Alexa exclaimed as she buried her face in Edward's arm as she laughed.

"My _monkey_ man," Rosalie said teasingly, raising an eyebrow towards Emmett, who frowned.

"And three…Emmett's got a small wiener."

That sent all of us into loud laughter, Alice banging her hand on the table as my stomach started to hurt. Jasper was grinning evilly as Emmett was looking at Rosalie, as if waiting for her to say something.  
"What?" She asked him, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

"No," Rosalie said with a grin. "Can you pass me the salad?"

Once the laughter died down and the wine was gone, we all found it quite hard to stand up from the table. It was a nice atmosphere to be in, and thanks to the wine, I could barely notice the awkwardness of my seat at the head of the table. Suddenly, Alexa stood up and yawned.

"I'm beat," she announced. "I'm going to bed."

"But we just got here," Emmett pointed out.

"I helped make dinner today and—"  
Suddenly the three guys started spluttering and coughing like they ate something bad. Alexa rolled her eyes and started to leave the dining table when Edward grabbed her arm as he laughed.

"Oh come on Lexie, don't be such a spoilsport," Jasper teased as Alexa rolled her eyes at the nickname. "It was a real good meal."  
"Bella made most of it," Alexa pointed out.

I swear that my heart leapt out of my chest as Edward turned to me and smiled, like he was happy that I'd made dinner. But then Alexa said goodnight again and Edward pulled her towards him. I avoided both Rosalie and Alice's stares as they talked.

"You can stay, I'm just really sleepy," she said to him.

"Alright. I'll take a look at your hand later," he said, and she nodded as he placed a kiss on her lips before she turned around and went back upstairs. Edward rejoined us at the table and turned to me.

"This was a very nice meal, Bella." He said, and from the way he spoke, I knew he was being completely honest with me. I smiled and thanked him.

"Oh, before I forget," Alice said, looking suddenly at Rosalie. "Rose, you and I have to make a schedule for the week."  
"Sure," Rosalie said. "I'll go get my organizer and my wedding book."  
"I'll get mine," Alice said, and the two of them left the dining room, having been absorbed back into the focus of their week—that is, to make sure that everything would be perfect for the wedding.

"I'll do the dishes," Jasper volunteered, standing up and gathering the now empty plates.

"I'm…" Emmett said, clearly debating whether he should help with the dishes or go upstairs. The decision was made for him as Jasper handed him an empty bowl.

I hadn't realized that Edward and I were alone until he let out a sigh. Suddenly the room was completely still, like it missed the laughter and the easy atmosphere from earlier.

"So…" I managed to say, fumbling with my fingers and not knowing why I was nervous. "I guess you know my sister."  
He laughed as he ran a hand through his copper hair. I was sitting across him, and I made a point to notice that he wasn't looking at me. I didn't know if it was because he didn't want to, or that he couldn't.

"Yeah, I do," he replied, "Bella, I'm sorry about what happened last night, I didn't—"  
"Edward, it's okay. It's none of my business to know why you said that," I assured him, but I was telling myself more than I was telling him.

"Just that I wish you would eventually tell her the truth." I didn't like that I was distancing myself from him and his life, but I knew I had to. He was my sister's boyfriend, not mine. Any connection I felt towards him I had to forget, simply because he'd asked me to when he pretended not to know me last night.

"Yes, of course," he said, placing his hands on the table and sighing.

There was another moment of silence before he said anything more. In the background, I heard Alice and Rosalie talking excitedly about the DJ for the wedding and Emmett arguing with Jasper in the kitchen about proper dishwashing procedure. Yet I was still so…aware that Edward and I were alone in the room. I couldn't explain it, he just had a certain presence about him that I could never just ignore.

"Bella," he said as he leaned forward towards me, and suddenly I was engaged in conversation with him. Damn it. "I don't want things to be…awkward between us. In an ideal world, I would like for us to be friends, but if you don't want that, it's fine. And if I hurt you in any way with what I said or did yesterday…I'm really sorry."

"It's…okay," I managed to say, the words escaping without me really thinking about it. He'd just told me something really important. He _knew_. He knew that there was something between us, something that neither of us could explain and yet he still wanted to say with Alexa. He said he wanted to be my friend, but I knew. I just knew there was something else beyond what he was saying to me.

We stayed there the whole night, talking, and instantly, I felt _better._

Alexa POV

I was in love with this room. It was a nice shade of baby blue, just like the house, but the bed. The bed was so comfortable. Edward and I had been raving about it since we got here. He had been first, but that was fine, because now the bed smelled like him, which I loved. After changing into my pajamas, I snuggled under the covers and felt my entire body just sink into the bed. I let out a tiny moan, just because the bed deserved one. My eyes closed as I sank my face into Edward's pillow. I was falling…falling—

Someone knocked on the door. _Hard_. I turned around and tried to ignore it.

"Alexa, come on. I know you're not asleep yet," Emmett's voice boomed from the other side. I yelled back for him to shut up, although it was more of on an ESP basis.

"Alexaaaaaa," he said. "Lexaaaaaa, eeexxxaaaaa, aaaaaaah." Emmett had that way of making up really annoying ways of annoying me into doing things for him. Well not today.

"You know, the door's open anyway. I'm coming in, and you better not be naked."  
The door clicked and Emmett was inside. He stood at the doorway, glaring at me.

"Oh my god Emmett," I told him, my face still buried under the pillow. "What is this, junior year? Get out of my roooommm," I begged him.

"But Alexa, this is really important, and I need your opinion on it."

"Ask Rosalie."  
"Just hear me out, okay?" Emmett asked, and I knew that it was time that I sat up and looked at him. I did, and he wasted no time running his idea by me.

"I saw this video on YouTube the other day," he said to me, "there was this wedding, and they were dancing to a song…and I wanted to do something like that for Rosalie."  
I was completely confused at what he was saying, so he dragged me over to the other room to watch the video that he'd saved on his laptop.

"Emmett, that's really sweet," I said to him. "I'm sure Rosalie would love that."

"You think so?" Emmett asked me nervously, and I couldn't help but smile and assure him again.

"I'm positive," I said to him. "So what did you have in mind?"

"I wanted you and Edward to help me pick out the song…and the dance."

Emmett and I talked more about his idea, and the more we did, the more excited he seemed about it. I went to bed at midnight and felt some of his excitement rubbing off on me.


	6. Chapter 6

My Favorite Accident

Chapter Six: My Life's Plans

APOV

"So," Jasper asked, as we stood at the balcony that overlooked the beach. "How are the wedding plans coming along?"

There was something so genuine about his curiosity that I couldn't help the smile and the blush that crept up my cheeks. The truth was, whenever I cast my eyes on that empty beach, I see everything so clearly in my mind already. It was the same for outfits, empty rooms and pretty much anything I took on. I closed my eyes and I see something there, like When I closed my eyes it was as if I could see something there, a prediction of some sort. If that was what you could call it

I did my best to describe my ideas to Jasper as we walked together to the beach. With each detail, he smiled and nodded, asking me what a marquee or Vermilion was. He honestly seemed interested in what I had to say, like it meant as much to him as it does to me. Not everyone understands that about me. I've had boyfriends who have called me frivolous, simply because I always volunteer to be the party planner, or because I gush over beautiful colors and design. I turned to Jasper and blushed, wondering if I was boring him.

"No," he said after I asked my question. "I think it's amazing that you have so much passion for this. I've never seen anyone so dedicated."

"Bella calls me obsessive-compulsive over this," I said with a laugh, "as if I was planning my own wedding, but I love doing this for Rosalie, and maybe even Bella, one day. Not just because I love them, but I know that one day, they'll do it for me when it's my turn."

"Like that movie," Jasper said with a nod, and I turned to him with a curious look on my face.

"You've seen _27 Dresses_?" I asked him, stifling a laugh as he kept a straight face. "Jasper!"

"What?" He asks me. "It was either that or _Made of Honor_, but Edward doesn't like Patrick Dempsey."

I started to laugh, and he followed behind, laughing as well. I shook my head and asked him, "What do you think of Edward? I mean, you know. As a guy."

Jasper laughed, like I'd just asked him a question with an obvious answer. "Alice Brandon," he said. "Are you fishing for information about Edward for Bella?"

"Maybe," I said with a sigh. Jasper, of course knew about the whole situation going on. He and I were supposed to be confidantes and teammates on this one. "I just wanted to find out what kind of guy he is, that's all. I know he and Alexa are your friends, and you're rooting for them and all, but if Bella really does feel so strongly about him--"

"Alright, alright," he said. "I have nothing bad to say about him. He's a really generous guy, and he's dedicated to his work. A real charmer, obviously, but he's one of those guys you want to come home to. Alexa's lucky to have him, and he's lucky to have her."

"Okay. Thank you," I said, looking at my feet. Wow, Jasper had nothing but respect for Edward. "I'm sorry I put you on the spot like that."

"It's okay," he said, patting my hand. "Don't worry about them, Alice. If it's meant to happen, then it will happen." Until then, I hadn't really been conscious of the fact that we were holding hands. It just seemed so...right, like I couldn't believe that I'd only known him for a few days.

"--And this will lead to the altar at the end of the dock," I finished as we walked towards the edge of the pier, which opened right up into the vast ocean, the waves playing their own music as the scent of salt filled the air. I smiled at Jasper. "What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect," he said as he turned to face me. The smile was back on his face, and I'd never seen anything so perfect. My heart was practically leaping out my chest, and we were just standing there. As I took his other hand, I felt something coming. A moment, one that I'd been imagining all afternoon. I closed my eyes and tiptoed up to him, just as he bent slightly to place his lips on mine. It was the perfect kiss, one that was sweet, intimate and short all at the same time. As we kissed on that pier, I couldn't help but picture my own wedding day with him, the sun setting right behind us as we kiss under a blanket of stars and lights, my heart finally finding it's place with his.

BPOV

I wasn't sure why I was awake so early in the morning. Perhaps it was the sun creeping through my shutters, or the sea breeze that whistled against the wooden planks of the house. All I knew, and I'm not even so sure why I knew it, is that I wanted coffee, toast and a trip out to the beach. I took my time putting on a robe, leaving my shoes in my room and preparing my breakfast before I walked out into the crisp, salty air. I stood at the beach for a while, sinking my toes into the sand as I nursed my coffee cup. Standing there, I felt at peace, finally reliving the peace that had washed over me last night. Talking with Edward was perhaps the best way I could heal the jagged, scabbing scars that Mike had left with me. It certainly felt that way to me. I shivered as I thought about it. That isn't right.

"Cold?" A familiar voice asked me, and I turned around just in time for Edward to wrap a blanket around my shoulders. He had another one in his arms.

"Not so much," I said with a laugh as he laid the second blanket out on the sand, beckoning me to sit with him.

"Is that a good idea?" I asked him, biting my lip. I might be drawn to him, but that doesn't mean that I'd be the kind of person to--

"It's only a bad idea if you think about it like that," he pointed out, cutting me off in the middle of my thoughts. "Come on, Bella. As friends."

I sat next to him, wrapping the blanket protectively around me as I continued to eat my toast and drink my coffee. Edward seemed unaffected by the cold and lay down on the blanket, looking up at the infinity of blue sky hanging above us. As he lay there, I felt absolute content, like I knew why I came down to the beach so early in the morning.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him, not really sure where my question came from. Edward didn't move from his position.

"Yeah," he said. "I was just picturing you as a kid, that's all."

"What?" I asked curiously, turning towards him as I saw him closing his eyes and chuckling to himself. "Edward?"

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head and looking up at me. We stared at each other for what felt like the longest time. The tension between us was so palpable that I could feel it pushing behind me. In any circumstance, this would have led to something...a kiss, perhaps. A kiss that would mean nothing but more trouble for me and Edward. I dared not let out a breath, not even a sigh as my eyes fell onto his. I could look into his eyes forever. I remembered the first day we met, the way his arms wrapped tenderly around me at the supermarket and the way he had been so cool and casual in front of Mike and Jessica.

God, I didn't even care what Mike and Jessica were doing then.

His lips parted and pursed, sending my heart into a rapid beating, one that I'd never recognized before. I was caught in the moment, whatever moment this was. I didn't want it to end, even if we were just looking at each other.

"Edward," I managed to say, his name escaping more as a breath. I felt my head falling under the pressure of the tension between us. Surprisingly, he didn't tell me to stop. I couldn't stop.

"Bella," he said, and I felt my heart skip a beat. It was like he was reciprocating, allowing me to do...whatever it was I wanted to do. "I might just kiss you."

"That's a bad idea," I said, and turned my head away. I couldn't do this. No matter what I feel for Edward, this wasn't fair. It would be like doing the same thing to Alexa as Jessica had done to me. And there was no way that I was going to be anything like Jessica.

Edward sat up immediately, and I turned away. We didn't say anything for what felt like the longest minute in my life. I didn't want to see his confusion, his insecurity. Most of all, I didn't want to see his regret. It would hurt me too much.

"Bella, I--" he began, his hand reaching out to touch me. I was just about to say something when my cell phone rang inside the pocket of my robe. It was Alice.

"Hello?" I asked, brushing aside the blanket and walking away from Edward. There was no way that I would be able to speak to Alice and look at Edward at the same time. "Alice, what's wrong?"

"We have been looking all over for you," se said to me in a very disapproving voice. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the beach with Edward," I said, like it was the most casual thing in the world. "What time is it?"

"It's almost nine, and there isn't any food in the house. Rosalie and I will be out all day, but you, Alexa and the guys are going to stay here so--"

"Right. I'll do the groceries. Just leave the keys on my bed or something," I said. I always volunteer to do the groceries. I wasn't exactly sure why. Then again, the last time I stepped into a supermarket, I got rescued twice. Maybe I'd be luckier this time around.

"I'll leave them with Alexa. She wants to help out," Alice said, but before I could say anything, she said goodbye and hung up on me.

With a pout on my lips, I marched back towards Edward and his blanket, my coffee cup settled perfectly next him.

"Is everything okay?" He asked me.

"I have to go grocery shopping with my sister," I said it like I was being sent to death row. I was being horrible, and it wasn't just because of the prospects of the trip.

"Would you like me to go with you?" Edward asked, and I wasn't sure what was worse. Edward and Alexa wrapped up in their own world while I was being forced to watch or staying on the beach and making all kinds of illogical choices with Edward looking at me.

"No, it's fine, I can go by myself," I said, grabbing my cup and leaving him alone on the beach. I tried to ignore the heat that was still on my cheeks as I hopped into the shower. My coffee cup, the only witness to my indiscretion, sat patiently on the bathroom counter.

Alexa POV

The moment Alice suggested a grocery trip, I was quick to volunteer. I'm not sure why, but I loved going to the grocery store. Aisles and aisles of all kinds of things just made me so excited. I remembered when my first date with Edward was turning into a disaster. I only knew that there was going to be a second date when he brought me to a grocery store and bought me Cheetos and noodles as an apology.

No other way to a girl's heart, I always said.

Unfortunately, there was one setback. I don't know how to drive, and Alice was quick to call Bella into the house to help the matter. So here we were, sitting in the Hales' car, driving towards the grocery store I'd seen on the way over. Both of us were not really saying anything except when I pointed out directions and Bella would just grunt in reply. I could tell that something was really bothering her, but it just wasn't my place to be asking anything. Clearly, I'd lost that right years ago. No matter what I did or said to her now, there just wasn't a point. Bella doesn't love me as I love her. Perhaps that was something we just had to live with, after what our parents did, and what we had to go through.

Parents. That word sent a pang right to my chest. Although Renee and I had been in close contact with each other, I hadn't spoken to Char--Dad in so long. I was so glad when Bella went to stay with him a few years ago, maybe then she would have a better relationship with him than I ever did. It wasn't that I hated or resented him. It was just...I couldn't stand the fact that I grew up without my mother and my sister. The house always felt so empty for me. With Dad always at the station, I had to stay home and order the takeout dinner. It came to a point when I begged colleges to give me a scholarship so I could get away. I couldn't stand being alone.

"Where did you see this grocery, anyway?" Bella snapped at me, and I kind of forget what I was thinking of.

"It's just to the right, and I saw it on our way here yesterday," I said simply, not wanting to add to whatever frustration she was feeling. The car pulled up into the parking lot, and she killed the engine. Neither of us made a move to get out.

"How could you possibly remember a grocery on our way here?" Bella asked me irritably. I shrugged, not really knowing the answer to that.

"You know, if you're angry, you can just stay here," I said to her.

"No, I'm going," she said firmly and left the car. I followed her into the grocery where I took a shopping cart and strolled inside. I absentmindedly tossed a bag of Cheetos into the cart. Bella looked at me.

"What," I said to her. "It's my favorite."

BPOV

Apparently, she loved Cheetos as well. I said nothing and kept walking ahead of my sister, who seemed to be thinking of something deeply. As I took some Pop Tarts and put them into the cart, I was about to ask a penny for her thoughts when she looked right at me and said, "I haven't spoken to Dad in years."

I stared up at her, blinking. Neither of us was actually expecting that kind of outburst. I didn't even know she addressed Charlie as dad.

"At least, not since I left," Alexa continued, suddenly avoiding my eyes and placing some noodles gently into the shopping cart. I don't really know what to say to her, so I just looked around and placed chicken broth next to the noodles. Looks like we were having chicken noodle soup for dinner.

We remained silent until the end of the aisle, but my curiosity got ahead of me, and I couldn't resist asking, "Why?"

It was a simple and yet increasingly heavy question. Alexa still refused to look at me. Perhaps my lack of reciprocation at her initial sharing made her scared, but when had she ever been scared?

"I resented him," she said with a bitter laugh in her voice. "He was hardly ever there for me since Renee packed you up and left. At first I got really mad at Renee for leaving me with him. He couldn't cook, he was always at the police station. Anyway, it took a while for my anger to move from Renee to him. Somehow I had it in my head that I was trapped in Forks, doomed to be alone with Charlie Swan, the police chief and the loneliest man in the world. By the time I got to Dartmouth, I was so glad to be free. I wasn't ashamed that I'd basically abandoned my father. Luckily, he had you."

Then she lifted her eyes at me, and I looked back at her. She bit her lip, and I didn't know what to say. Should I tell her something about Charlie? How he missed her? Should I ask how she managed to forgive Renee and not Charlie? Should I just keep silent, and pretend like her life was nowhere connected with mine? I didn't know. I'd never done this with her before.

Then, just like that, she turned her eyes towards one of the food items and took it. As if she hadn't just opened up a part of herself to me. She seemed crushed, like I'd rejected her for something. The shopping cart was moving away, as she took some other items and put them into the cart.

"Alexa," I called after her, and she turned around, surprised that I'd called her name.

"I know Edward," I said. Her eyebrows furrowed. She didn't understand.

"What?" She asked me, and I walked towards her with a can of tuna in my hand.

"I met Edward the afternoon of Rosalie's shower. He...kind of rescued me from Mike Newton," I said, and surprisingly, it felt like a load had been lifted off my chest. One that I didn't even realize was there. Alexa looked at me oddly, like she wasn't quite sure how to react.

"I know it looked like we didn't know each other when you introduced us, but I didn't want to lie to you like that," I continued. "I'm sorry, Alexa."

She shook her head. "No, Bella, you don't have to be sorry. I mean, I'm glad you told me." She smiled. "I was a little worried you and Edward wouldn't get along...you seemed cold to each other that night. Thank you for telling me."

"Please don't be mad at Edward for lying," I said, actually placing my hand over hers. "I don't want him to get into trouble."

Alexa laughed and shook her head. "I won't be mad at him. I mean...obviously, I have to talk to him, but I'm not angry."

After that, the air between us seemed to lighten. We still didn't speak much, but whenever we did, it was easier. It was like we were under less pressure to talk to each other. We managed to avoid sensitive topics like Charlie and Edward, and instead talked about the wedding, the prospects of Jasper and Alice and whether I'd heard what Mrs. Hale had said about Rosalie being conceived somewhere in the house. We were at the line to the counter when my cell phone rang in my bag.

"Hello?" I asked for the second time that day. "What's up, Rose?"

"Bella," she said, "could you and Alexa come over to Raffy's for dinner after you drop the groceries off? I'm sure the guys can handle it, and I have something I _really_ have to say."

"Okay," I said to her. Rosalie told me the directions to the restaurant, and then she hung up. Alexa looked at me curiously as I helped her unload the groceries.

"Everything okay?" She asked me. I nodded and placed the Cheetos on the counter, wondering what in the world was going on. It was so unlike Rosalie to be so secretive all off the sudden.

"Yeah, Rosalie wants to meet us for dinner, that's all."

Alexa POV

Bella and I were back in the kitchen of the beach house, unloading the groceries when Edward popped his head through the door.

"Alexa, a word?" he asked me, and I looked up from the Chinese noodles we just bought and right into his handsome face. There's a strange smile playing across his lips, and I'm not exactly sure what it means. It was mischievous, to be sure, but Edward was a constant surprise to me. I smiled and shook my head.

"No way. Bella and I have to fix the groceries here, then meet up with Alice and Rosalie for dinner."

"This can't exactly wait."

I stare at him. I wasn't really in the mood to do anything...frisky with him. Honestly, I was a little upset that he'd lied to me about knowing Bella. What was the big deal? I didn't understand why he felt the need to lie about it.

"Fine," I said. "Bella are you--"

"Yes, fine," she replied, without even looking at me. I followed Edward to the living room, which was messy with all the CDs and paper strewn about. I turned to Edward and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's going on?" I asked him, and he plopped to the floor. Well, no. Edward Masen doesn't flop. He sat down, Indian-style and pulled my hand to get me to sit in front of him. I pouted at him.

"Bella told me about how you guys really met," I said to him. If there was anything I knew about Edward, it was that it was difficult to keep secrets and emotions from him. He looked at me as if he could just tell these things, like every part of me was exposed when I was with him. It was the scariest and most amazing thing in the world. His eyes fell to the floor, like he was embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," he said to me, taking my hand. "I don't know what came over me."

I furrowed my eyebrows. I wasn't really sure what to make of this, but I knew I wasn't angry. What was the big deal? So they met a few hours before I'd intended. I sighed and kissed his cheek.

"I'm not mad," I said to him. "I just wish you told me. I mean...we haven't lied to each other before...I don't want us to start now."

He nodded, and looked back at me, his eyes brighter. I smiled and reciprocated a soft kiss. "So," I said. "What did you want to say to me?"

"Oh," he said, suddenly remembering. He looked around until he is able to brandish a notebook and a pen. "Emmett told me about his idea this afternoon, and I really need your help thinking of a song."

"What? I don't know what kind of music Rosalie likes. I mean, I know we're not dancing to Emmett's music."

Edward nodded. Of course not.

"And we're just witnesses to the relationship," I pointed out. "Shouldn't Emmett be doing the song picking?"

"We've been doing that all afternoon," he said to me, indicating the mess around us. "He said you and I should just come up with a list, and he'll choose the best one."

I looked at Edward curiously. A playlist? Wow. We'd never really done that before. It seemed strange to me, choosing songs that felt significant to us, only to translate it into something that would be significant to Rosalie and Emmett. However, we couldn't let Emmett down. Lord only knows how big a tantrum he'll be throwing at us if this plan doesn't go well. I smiled and shook my head as I tried not to think about the last time I saw Emmett Cullen lose.

"Alexa?" Edward asked me, and I turned to him with a smile.

"We'll work on it tonight," I said to him as I stood up. "For now, I have dinner plans."

"Sounds like a date," he said, and I couldn't help but catch an undertone of...something there. I saw it in his face, he was smiling at me that way again. I laughed and planted a deep kiss on his lips. How can he make me so flushed with just a smile? I shook my head as I made my way back to the kitchen, where Bella just finished. We looked at each other.

"Ready to go?" I asked her.

We made it to the restaurant just as Rosalie and Alice sat down on our table. We had just finished ordering and sipping our first glass of wine when I decided to be impatient.

"Rosalie, what's going on? You aren't usually this nervous," I pointed out, and immediately, Alice and Bella turned their eyes over to the bride-to-be. Rosalie was in the middle of tearing her bread into tiny pieces, and she seemed a bit shocked to be caught red-handed. Then she sighed and put down the poor bread.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you guys _now_," she said, looking down at her hands for a moment before fully facing us. "I'm still not completely sure about this but...I think I might be pregnant."

End Chapter


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